Vancouveria

( van - koo - VEER - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This delicate perennial flowering plant needs partial shade and moderate to regular water. They are commonly used as groundcover in shaded areas, and have creeping underground stems. In late spring or early summertime, drooping clusters of white flowers form on thin green stems. These plants form sizeable swaths in the landscape given time. They are commonly called Inside-Out Flowers, and all species are endemic to the West Coast of the United States. Use Vancouveria as a shady-area groundcover in woodland or informal gardens.

Vancouveria Species and Varietals

The genus Vancouveria includes just three species, and is a member of the plant family Berberidaceae. The genus is named for English navigator and explorer George Vancouver. Vancouveria growing zones vary depending on the species; for more information, see the following descriptions. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Vancouveria chrysantha (Golden Inside-Out Flower, Siskiyou Inside-Out Flower)
This species grows best in zones 5, 6 and 14-17; it is native to the mountains of southwestern Oregon and far northern California. It reaches 16 inches tall and has bronze to greyish-green leaves and bright yellow flowers. Blooms pop in spring and summertime.

Vancouveria hexandra (Vancouveria brevicula, Vancouveria parvifolia, Vancouveria picta) (White Inside-Out Flower, Duckfoot, American Barrenwort)
This species grows best in zones 4-7, 14-17 and 19-24. It is native to the coastal forests of Northern California through Washington, where it is a commonly seen understory herb in moist, shaded Douglas Fir forests. It reaches a between 8 and 16 inches tall and has light green leaves and white flowers. It will die back in winter. The common name 'Duckfoot' refers to the shape of the leaves.

Vancouveria planipetala (Vancouveria parviflora) (Inside-Out Flower, Redwood Inside-Out Flower, Redwood Ivy)
Zones 4-7 and 14-17; native to coastal California and southern Oregon. Grows to 2 feet tall and has medium green leaves and clusters of white flowers in May and June. May die back in wintertime in frosty conditions. These plants are wonderful for native and wildlife gardens.

Caring for vancouveria

Vancouveria plants should be situated in a space that gets partial shade during the day. An area with morning sun for 4-6 hours and shade for the rest of the day or an area with filtered or dappled shade all day is ideal. Make sure that they will have enough room to spread in the garden where they are installed; they spread via creeping underground stems and can colonize areas of the garden relatively quickly. They enjoy sheltered spots that are protected from high winds and cold temperatures. Ensure that soil is well-draining and moderately fertile, with a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 (slightly acidic to slightly alkaline). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Vancouveria plants like consistently moist soil.

With enough leaf litter that gets dropped under trees and a good covering of mulch, these plants do not need extra fertilizers to thrive. They need minimal pruning, and are typically cut back to clean up their look and remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage. Flowering spikes can be deadheaded if desired. Hard pruning is not generally recommended, but for established plants, light shaping and thinning can be completed after the first round of blooming. If plants seem to be struggling, they can be divided every few years to rejuvenate them. For instructions on how to successfully divide Vancouveria plants, see the Propagation section below.

Propagation

Vancouveria, or Inside-Out Flower, can be propagated by division or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Inside-Out Flower, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Vancouveria by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Vancouveria by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil (any kind will do, though it does need to be well-draining), compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your gloved fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.

Problems and Pests

Vancouveria plants, although typically considered quite resilient, can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape: